One of Carnival Corporation’s & nine brands, and the one that arguably transformed the industry into what it is now, Carnival Cruise Line, today had 100 million reasons to celebrate. It achieved a major milestone for the industry as the first cruise line to embark 100 million guests since its first sailing. That was back in 1972, when its first ship, the original Mardi Gras, a former transatlantic liner purchased from Canadian Pacific Line sailed from Miami.
Fast forward today when Carnival President Christine Duffy visited Carnival Sunrise as guests boarded the ship at PortMiami, to thank them for making Carnival the world’s most popular cruise line.
The milestone was commemorated as Debi and David Clifford, who are vacationing from Ohio and representing Carnival guests everywhere as the 100 millionth, boarded the ship with their family. They were recognized with a fanfare from Duffy and the ship’s team members, who are led by Captain Luca Cherchi.
Other guests embarking on the cruise were able to take part in the festivities as well – and take special photos signifying how each is “One in 100 Million.”
“We’re the first cruise line to meet this incredible mark of 100 million guests and I believe it is a testament to the fun, inclusive atmosphere our valued guests and our extraordinary team members have created together on board our ships for the past 51 years,” said Duffy. “There is certainly much more fun to come. We’re continuing to grow our operations at a rapid pace – with three ships joining our fleet by the spring of next year.”
The company’s new Carnival Celebration is already proving popular with guests in its first few months of sailing from Miami. And its fleet is growing. The cruise line is preparing for another ship to debut in May. Carnival Venezia will expand Carnival’s New York offerings from seasonal to year-round. A third sister ship to the new Mardi Gras and Carnival Celebration, will also join the fleet this year and sail from Galveston, Texas. In the spring of 2024, Carnival Firenze, sister ship to Carnival Venezia, will begin offering year-round cruises from Long Beach, Calif.
Meantime, parent Carnival Corporation has scheduled a conference call with analysts for Monday, March 27, 2023, to provide a business update when all eyes will be on hard numbers on current bookings, revenues and spending.
